ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Survive or Thrive?
- 02/19/23 07:23 AM
Real estate agents cover the entire spectrum, from those "dabbling" in the business with almost no completed deals in a year to those doing 100s (or more?) in a year.
Single agents to couples and small agent teams to humongous teams across multiple states, there's a model for success for however you want to practice real estate.
As an agent you can fail outright, do just enough to survive, or thrive.
What's the difference?
A large contributor is how you understand (or not) your LOCAL market.
Too often people (consumers and agents alike) relay on real estate reports that either focus on national trends, or paint … (13 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Is Your Heart In It?
- 02/14/23 01:19 PM
It's Valentines Day. Hearts to the left of me, hearts to the right of me, into the breach we go!
Blogging covers an entire spectrum.
Rote blogging, Joe Friday stuff. 47 variations of the same long tail theme, change the location and fill in the blanks. X location with X number of Bedrooms. They CAN be bread and butter lead generation machines if you pick the right long tail, but they're about as exciting to write as watching paint dry, amirite? But there's certainly a place for them, and maybe lots of them! It's a numbers game, lots of pages with solid content … (18 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: ActiveRain Is What You Make It
- 02/07/23 03:39 PM
Is ActiveRain a blogging site? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a social network? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to create a valuable referral network? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to gain knowledge about the latest happenings in real estate? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place that can increase your business? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to keep your finger on the pulse of real estate markets across the country? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to make friends that feel your pain from things that happen in real estate? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place you can have a virtual watercooler? If you've visited the Q&A section you know the answer.
I could go … (20 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Diagnosing The Problem
- 01/30/23 07:28 PM
Yesterday I watched a digital version of my heart pump. We could see each chamber and valve as the heart muscle contracted and the technician took measurements, sound recordings, flow measurements and more to provide a thorough report of how my almost 60 year old ticker is working. The ultrasound check was a routine follow-up prescribed by my cardiologist and part of ensuring that we're keeping my afib under control.
Experts provided me the diagnosis years ago of why I could feel a heartbeat tango in my chest, and they continue to monitor me and adjust treatment as needed.
And similar to my … (17 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Build Your Business
- 01/24/23 04:22 PM
It may not look like much at the start.
Bare dirt, but there's potential. Some ideas of what can be done to add value and put some demand in place.
Much like undeveloped land, that's how our blog begins. Not much there, but ideas to follow and if we do it right, there's something of value in the future.
There are many ways you can use your blog to build your business.
One of the better ones for us?
Providing information about new construction opportunities in our market.
While we can double dip our niches with posts about new construction patio homes and new construction condos, there's … (10 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Is Daily Blogging For You?
- 01/17/23 07:58 PM
We've taken an interest in gardening, thinking forward to our next place and being more self-sustaining. There's a wide range of heirloom vegetables out there to explore. Yep, not all tomatoes are red or green, some squash are not smooth skinned, and there are various veggies out there with histories of many centuries.
There's a seed store in Michigan that caught my attention when I was researching seeds (MiGardner.com). They have a great variety of seeds, $2 a pack, free shipping at $12 or more in purchase, and some great information on their website with how tos, information about the various seeds … (15 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Expectations Vs. Reality
- 01/10/23 06:22 AM
Last night I watched the college football championship game. What I expected beforehand based on the semi-final games was for a high-scoring game with TCU remaining competitive. While I got the high scoring game I expected, the reality was I didn't expect ONE team to put almost all the points in the game!
Many moons ago when I was taking my real estate licensing classes, I had some knowledge of what I was getting into thanks to Liz starting in the business 2 years prior. I knew the reality of what I was getting into, but many of my fellow students were … (26 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: New Year, Time To Pivot?
- 01/03/23 12:33 PM
Your year-end review is complete and you shed some unnecessary expenses.
However, is removing expenses enough? Or is it time to consider a pivot from your typical blogging?
Fewer homes for sale (still), fewer buyers thanks to higher interest rates, so does your past methodology of gaining business a continued guarantee of success?
Only you have the knowledge to fully evaluate what has brought you business and how willing you are to continue doing those things AND if they're still likely to work as the calendar moves onward.
Niche blogging works as long as there are people looking for information about that niche AND with … (17 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Assess & Adjust
- 12/27/22 06:47 AM
In a few days I'll export the stats for our 2022 expenses. The summary goes to our CPAs when it's time for our annual tax prep and it's an eye-opening experience and part of an overall year-end assessment for both business and personal aspects.
We spent HOW much on vet care for our furry herd? (time to sell some more houses!).
There are certain non-negotiable expenses (MLS, licensing, etc.), but there are other expenses that aren't mandatory, and year-end is a good time to assess and decide whether it's an expense that should continue or be eliminated.
Is our current brokerage providing a good … (16 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Purposeful Blogging
- 12/20/22 11:19 AM
You can blog for multiple reasons: lead generation, relationship development, just for fun, etc.
You can choose to blog willy-nilly or planned to the nth degree, it's totally up to you.
Back when I used to read books heavily, I'd mix up what I read. One classic followed by one just for fun, so Dickens or Shakespeare might be followed by a sci-fi novel.
Blogging can be the same way, splitting your target audience between consumers and real estate professionals.
Bloggers take many different paths:
Some choose to work themes or schedules: Designated days are market reports, other days may just be a picture, other days … (14 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Context Matters On And Off The Field
- 12/03/22 06:09 PM
I played goalie for the American soccer team in Doha, Qatar.
True statement, but without context one might think I was laying claim to being in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.
The reality? Back in my Navy days I was stationed on USS Taylor (FFG-50), and out of that crew we fielded a ship's soccer team for the base league in Charleston SC. We deployed to the Persian Gulf for the 2nd half of 1990 and while there our team scrimmaged the Qatari military base team (rumor has it they trained against Qatar's national team). We actually did quite well for the … (19 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 7 Tips To Avoid Unmet Blogging Expectations
- 11/29/22 02:51 PM
Over the years I've seen many a person in the Rain claim "blogging doesn't work".
And they're right, every time.
For them, blogging DOES NOT WORK, but upon closer examination of their blogs there's usually clearly evident reasons as to WHY blogging isn't working for them and in my opinion every one of those reasons can be corrected IF one wants to do the work.
Here's what I often see from the "blogging doesn't work" crowd:
1. Not enough content to get the consumer or Google's attention. Throwing out a handful of posts with "I sell houses" or "I'm help with loans" is going to … (14 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Know When To Cut Your Losses
- 11/21/22 05:23 PM
Whether it's age telling me time is more important than ever, or just learning some hard lessons over the years of real estate, I'm more selective now than years past when it comes to deciding which potential clients become actual clients, and which ones STAY clients.
In my early days I'd take on just about any client, just to have a client because there was always POTENTIAL that it might turn into something.
But the reality is some people are just like a lottery ticket, there's a possibility that something could happen, but 1 in 292 million chance isn't a likely event.
Blogging and … (16 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Needle In A Haystack? You Can Be Found!
- 11/15/22 01:44 PM
Every week we receive emails offering to help us make our website easier to find.
"I came across your website and noticed that you were not ranking well for certain keyword phrases."
I suspect there's an infomercial on at 2 a.m. selling all these SEO "experts" a template email and thousands of agents' email addresses for only 4 payments of $29.99 each!
Very few of the emails stray much from the same basic idea: We found you, but you can't be found!
But here's the crux of it for me, they don't know what keywords are important to me and our business.
If they're trying to … (14 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Every Day Is Election Day
- 11/08/22 07:25 AM
Did you realize that you're up for election today? And every day?
Whether you realize it or not, your blog is a series of campaign promises.
An exercise in communicating to the public and other agents why YOU should be the one to be hired rather than any of your competition.
Let me help you buy a home.
Let me help you sell a home.
Send me your referrals.
You never know which one of your "speeches" will be the one to be found, or if that post will be the only one read before making a decision.
Some posts make the decision process REALLY easy.
"This agent knows … (11 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Blogging Tap Running Dry?
- 11/01/22 02:46 PM
It happens to every blogger sooner or later. You're sitting at the keyboard...and sitting...and sitting. Nothing but blank space.
How do you break the blogging block and get the flow going again?
The ideas are out there, it's mostly a matter of tuning in and finding something that sparks your interest.
Maybe you just need to blog ANYTHING just to break the block, or maybe you still want to blog for your target audience and keep your blogging time productive, but there are choices out there, but where??
For starters, here are some sources:
All those real estate newsletters and magazines you get? Ideas can be … (19 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Give Your Audience What They Need
- 10/25/22 03:06 PM
Unless you're blogging for your own amusement, you're writing for an audience. Determining what that audience wants or needs from you is critical to success.
If you're blogging to other agents, you start with a common baseline of experiences and language, so different topics and expectations apply. Whether you're seeking to educate or just stay top of mind, your audience has expectations. Meet those expectations and the seats in your virtual stadium start to fill. Over time, your audience grows and the opportunity to gain opportunities increases, even if you never publish market reports or anything specific to your real estate market.
If … (12 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Evergreen Posts Keep Going
- 10/18/22 10:50 AM
It's been over 2 years since I've written a consumer facing blog post.
After blogging daily for almost 10 years it was time for a break, a nice long break. I've honored a commitment to produce Ask An Ambassador posts every Tuesday, but I've passed on writing more consumer facing content. It's not that there aren't opportunities, I've just chosen to use my time elsewhere.
That choice might seem foolish on the surface, but there's something working on our behalf until I'm ready to pick up the keyboard and produce more consumer content.
EVERGREEN POSTS.
Posts fall into two primary categories:
1. Temporary. They have a … (11 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Balancing Bots & Humans
- 10/11/22 12:31 PM
It's chicken and the egg all over again.
If you don't write to be found, you don't get found by the bots, and you'll rank on page 186 of the search results and you don't get found by potential clients.
But if you write with too much emphasis on the bots, you might get found (or have Google toss you to the side for being TOO bot focused), and the human who finds you is going to get tired of seeing your keyword phrase if it isn't naturally blended in.
"If you're interested in buying Cincinnati patio homes, you should call a Cincinnati patio … (18 comments)
|
ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Fighting Gravity
- 10/04/22 10:18 AM
When you first start blogging it might seem like a LOT of work, and a lot of work with no visible return. You're starting at zero and there's a lot of downward pull to stop you from achieving orbit and being found by referring agents and consumers who might want to buy or sell a home in your area.
You've got to learn how to blog, to identify your target audience(s), gather information, develop enough content of the right types to establish a reputation and get your posts found.
That seems like a lot to learn doesn't it?
But here's the good news, there's … (13 comments)
|
|
|
|
Real estate agents cover the entire spectrum, from those "dabbling" in the business with almost no completed deals in a year to those doing 100s (or more?) in a year.
;)
;)
;)
